In the past during the freezing of foods such as french fries and peas, which are undergoing fluidization in a food freezing tunnel, transverse stationery rod abutments have been positioned as a temporary barrier to oncoming foods traveling on a conveyor. During the congestion of the foods at the rod some separation of the food into single units is undertaken. Yet many food units remain adhered to one another during the balance of the freezing period in traveling the remaining length of the freezing tunnel. The fluidization currents of freezing air are not able to separate most of the adhered food units, such as french fries or peas.
Also in the past, as indicated in the U.S. Pat. 2,274,292 issued to Mr. Miller, Jr. in 1942, a conveyor belt moving foods is shaken to try to separate the food units. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,229, issued to Mr. Knowles in 1942, a prefreezer shaker conveyor is used to try to separate the food units. In U.S. Pat. 2,385,140 in 1945, also issued to Mr. Knowles, he again illustrates a food shaker conveyor. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,237 issued in 1969, Mr. McLeese discloses his vibrating foraminous tray involving both vertical and horizontal components of vibratory forces as refrigerated air is passed by the food items traveling along the vibrating tray.
The problem therefore of separating food units and keeping them separated so they are completely frozen as separate units has been and still is well recognized and many solutions have been and are being offered. Yet there has remained a need for a better apparatus and/or method to be both installed and thereafter operated at lower overall cost, which would be much more effective in separating units of food such as french fries and thereafter keeping them separated during the freezing periods of their preparation.